Texas town elects openly gay mayor

It was a landslide win against Republican incumbent Robert Garza.

The Texas town of Del Rio has a new mayor; openly gay veteran Bruno “Ralphy” Lozano (D). He won the office in the May 5 municipal election by 62-percent.

Del Rio is a border town with a population of 41,000 people and sits 150 miles west of San Antonio.

Before he got into politics, Lozano, 35, served in the Air Force back when "Don't Ask Don't Tell" was in full effect a policy he had to enforce, and something he calls "heartbreaking." Needless to say, he walked away from that career.

“I am not ashamed of who I am, so I chose not to reenlist,” said Lozano. “I kept going. I moved on with my life.”

Lozano put his best high-heeled foot forward during the Veteran's Day Parade last year. He claims to like wearing women's shoes when he travels because they are comfortable. Although locals didn't seem to mind his fashion choice, Lozano became the butt of a homophobic internet meme.

But that didn't bother him and now as mayor, he's looking forward to inspiring change.

“It is time for new ideas and new visions of the future. It is time the next generation takes action and get involved in local politics,” he said in an interview with Conexion Del Rio. “We can continue our heritage through proper investments in infrastructure, culture, and services and that can start with accountability. An accountable government is a strong and trustworthy government. Some of that change includes the steadfast growth that the entire border region sees. Another change is the global connection thanks to technology.”